Southeastern Classic Raises $120,000 for Great Commission Efforts

Hosted at North Ridge Country Club’s Lakes and Oaks courses in North Raleigh, this year’s tournament marked another year of remarkable generosity from donors and partners who share Southeastern’s vision for equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission.

“This tournament is a unique event in terms of its longevity, its size, and its impact,” commented Drew Davis, director of financial and alumni development at Southeastern. “We are thrilled and excited to share with the golfers all that God is doing at Southeastern, which is made possible in part through their generous support of this event.”

“Our goal in hosting this annual tournament is not only to raise money to support the mission-critical needs of the seminary but also to encourage and invite men and women into Southeastern’s mission of equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission,” added Davis.

This year, the Southeastern Classic raised more than $120,000, bringing the total raised through the tournament to more than $1.3 million — which is equivalent to providing full academic scholarships for 163 students for a year.

“We love playing in the Southeastern Classic every year because we know that every dollar we give to Southeastern will be stewarded wisely — whether it goes to support operations or scholarships in the near term or is invested to support students for years to come,” noted Brett Danforth, institutional advisor for Oak City Consulting and a participant in this year’s tournament. “In addition to being a well-run tournament with a beautiful setting, it’s a great opportunity to expose some friends to how God is at work at Southeastern, meet some students and hear their stories, and support the mission of taking the gospel to the nations.”

We love playing in the Southeastern Classic every year because we know that every dollar we give to Southeastern will be stewarded wisely.

Following the tournament, golfers enjoyed an awards banquet at the clubhouse, celebrating tournament winners and the Great Commission impact of Southeastern and its network of like-minded partners and supporters.

During the banquet, golfers heard a student testimony from Caleb Iversen, who is enrolled in Southeastern’s 5-year Timothy Scholars program and who also serves as the assistant to the vice president for spiritual formation and as the assistant to the director of the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership. Iversen narrated his calling to ministry and how the Lord used his training at Southeastern to grow him spiritually and equip him for faithful ministry in the local church. Iversen also thanked donors and shared how their generosity enables faculty and staff to invest in students just like him.

“I’m so thankful for the faculty and staff at Southeastern who took the time to invest in me, challenge me, and help me grow so that I can invest in others,” noted Iversen. “I now want to be able to look back during my future ministry and say that it’s by the grace of God that I am who I am, not by anything that I have done.”

I’m so thankful for the faculty and staff at Southeastern who took the time to invest in me, challenge me, and help me grow so that I can invest in others.

Through the support of faithful donors and fundraising events like the Southeastern Classic, Iversen and other Southeastern students are being equipped to serve local churches and fulfill the Great Commission mandate of King Jesus. As illustrated by the partnerships represented at the Southeastern Classic, the work of training men and women for Great Commission ministry involves ongoing cooperation to see churches strengthened and the nations reached.

Southeastern is grateful for its partners and supporters who champion its efforts to provide biblical, theological, and ministerial training to Christian leaders worldwide. Each year, the Southeastern Classic celebrates these partnerships and gathers local pastors and donors for fellowship around their common Great Commission cause.

“The Southeastern Classic is a great opportunity to see and fellowship with people I love while supporting a school I love,” commented Randy Mann, pastor of Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church, who also participated in this year’s tournament. “As a two-time graduate of Southeastern, I have personally benefitted from the school’s mission to serve the local church and fulfill the Great Commission. I am now a pastor who is seeking to serve my local church and lead her to do our part toward fulfilling the Great Commission. We, as a local church, have the added blessing of pouring into Southeastern students while they are with us and then launching them out to wherever God sends them to continue that mission.”

For more information about the tournament, visit sebts.edu/classic. To find out more about upcoming fundraising events or to learn how you can support Southeastern’s Great Commission efforts, contact Caden Farr at [email protected].